❝ she loved him,
but she kept pretending
she didn't because
she knew he didn't
love her the same ❞
In which the Snake of Ketterdam slithers out from the cracks of the Barrel to raise her head and break some bones.
【 Kaz Brekker x OC】
【 Grishaver...
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∘☽༓☾∘
𝖂hen Kaz returned to the room with a glass of water, he found Stasiaj sitting up a little straighter, still wrapped in his coat like it was a blanket. Her breathing had evened out, and Kaz could see that she was watching him as he entered the room. He was just relieved that she was receptive once more.
"Stasiaj..." She watched him, as Kaz eased himself down next to her, placing the glass of water in front of her. "What happened?"
"Why do you think something happened?" She laughed, though her voice was hoarse and cracked. As much as she was trying her hardest to hide the pain and sweep it under the rug, Kaz saw through it all immediately. "What gave it away?"
"No dagger being thrown at my face when I entered the room," He replied. She sent him a relieved look, glad that he wasn't bringing up her unresponsive state or the fact that her room had been trashed. "But, I'm serious, Stasiaj. What happened?"
"Hardy found me," She replied, her voice no more than a whisper. "I was leaving. I was coming back to you, and the others, and he found me. He wanted to know about Jurda Parem."
"I doubt that would have upset you," They fell into silence, as Stasiaj drummed her fingers against the glass. "Wha..."
"I was on a slave ship," Kaz froze, turning to watch Stasiaj, who was staring off into space. "I was on a slave ship. He was a slaver."
"Stasiaj, I..."
"I was on a slave ship, Kaz," She cut him off. "Someone put me on a slave ship and now all I can think of is did my parents put me on a slave ship to be sold to some brothel? Or was I taken from my parents and put on a slave ship?"
"Stasiaj..."
"And I know that I'm supposed to be focused on the mission and getting Inej back and making the trade but I can't," Her fingers were finding her way back up to her hair. "I can't think of anything but why I was on that slave ship and who put me there. And I thought I could split my mind into focusing on two things, but I can't, okay, I can't..."
Kaz's shoulders dropped at seeing her so defeated. She brushed a tear away, sobs choking her breath as Kaz found himself wanting to hug her again.
"I can't do this, Kaz, I can't, I can't do this," She cried. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I don't even know who I am for saints sake."
"You're Stasiaj Yahontov," Kaz cut in. "You're the Snake of Ketterdam. You're a Crow. You're my informant."
"I can't do this heist with you, Kaz," Stasiaj sniffed, rubbing her eyes. "I can't keep pretending that everything's okay when it's not. I need to know. I have to know what happened to me."
